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A Montgomery County man posing as a federal agent scammed a senior citizen into converting nearly $250,000 in retirement savings into gold bars under the pretense of protecting him from identity theft. Police arrested the suspect (identified as Raingo Maton, a German citizen) as he picked up a box containing $23,000 in gold bars that was actually filled with tools; a vigilant friend's intervention prevented the victim from handing over the full amount.

This article is not relevant to the Elderus elder fraud research database. It describes a memorial service honoring K9 Santos, a police dog from Wake County, North Carolina, who was accidentally shot by a police officer in 2023. The content focuses on law enforcement and animal services, not elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse.

This article is not relevant to elder fraud research. It is an educational piece about the FBI Police force—a few hundred sworn law enforcement officers established in the late 1980s who protect FBI personnel, facilities, and information across the Eastern seaboard, particularly in Washington D.C., New York, and West Virginia. The article, published in honor of National Police Week 2024, profiles FBI Police Chief David Sutton and Officer Briana Chapman, describing their training, authority, duties, and community engagement role.

This is not an article about elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse. It reports on vandalism at a U.S. congressman's office where hostage awareness posters were destroyed. This does not fall within the scope of the Elderus database, which focuses on financial crimes, scams, and abuse targeting older adults.

An 82-year-old Montgomery County retiree lost nearly $1 million after clicking on a malicious popup ad that falsely claimed Russian spyware had compromised her computer. The scammers, posing as federal agents, coerced her into purchasing $900,000 in gold bars and handing them to a courier; she was prevented from losing an additional $2 million when she realized she was dealing with criminals rather than government officials. A 19-year-old suspect from Brooklyn was arrested after arriving in Silver Spring to collect the gold, and authorities indicate this scam remains active in the county.

Scammers are using AI-generated fake websites to trick travelers into booking reservations on fraudulent travel booking sites that appear in search results. To protect yourself, verify website URLs carefully before booking flights or accommodations, avoid vague searches that may lead to sketchy sites, and watch for spelling errors and suspicious domain names (for example, a fake JetBlue site using ".org" instead of the legitimate domain).

This article is not relevant to the Elderus database. It describes a criminal threat case involving a 41-year-old woman arrested for threatening former President Trump—a matter of general law enforcement, not elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse. Please submit articles related to financial exploitation, scams targeting seniors, or elder abuse.

Scammers impersonating law enforcement are targeting seniors in Montgomery County and the DC area, convincing them to convert large sums of money into gold bars and surrender them for "safekeeping." Authorities have charged four men in connection with these scams, which have affected approximately 20 victims ranging from 61 to 94 years old, with losses totaling millions of dollars and a single largest loss of $2.3 million.

"Pig butchering" is a cryptocurrency confidence scam where fraudsters build trust with victims over months through social media or dating apps before introducing fake cryptocurrency investment opportunities. Scammers send victims links to fraudulent trading websites and convince them to send hundreds or thousands of dollars, which actually goes directly into the scammers' pockets; the fake friend, website, and investment returns are all fabricated.

The United States Postal Inspection Service warned of a rise in mail scams heading into the holiday shipping season, including counterfeit postage stamps being sold on social media at 20-50% discounts and phishing/smishing scams via text messages falsely claiming failed package deliveries. Consumers are advised to purchase stamps only from approved postal providers and authorized retailers, and to be cautious of unsolicited delivery notifications via text that may contain malicious links.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is seeking access to Social Security Administration data, claiming significant fraud exists in the system, with White House adviser Elon Musk alleging potential savings of over $1 trillion over a 10-year period by addressing fraud and waste. Musk cited irregularities such as Social Security numbers assigned to individuals with ages ranging from 0 to 369 and claims of more eligible Social Security numbers than U.S. citizens, though previous SSA audits in 2023 had already identified substantial fraud cases. The push for access reportedly led to the exit of SSA acting commissioner Michelle King.

Washington Township Police Department in New Jersey partnered with the FBI to host an educational seminar teaching seniors and families how to recognize and avoid scams, prompted by recent major fraud cases in their community. Scammers commonly use fear, urgency, and confusion to target seniors through IRS scams, grandparent scams, tax support scams, online banking scams, and EasyPass billing scams, with recent local cases involving losses of $100,000 or more. Police emphasize that recognizing red flags through education is the most effective way to prevent seniors from losing their savings to fraud.

The FBI and Washington Township Police hosted a fraud awareness seminar at a senior center in Gloucester County, New Jersey, prompted by an incident where a 78-year-old resident nearly lost over $244,000 to scammers. The event aimed to educate seniors about common scam tactics and help prevent fraud in the community.

A U.S. Senate hearing examined cryptocurrency industry practices and potential scams, with lawmakers expressing concern that weaker crypto regulations compared to traditional financial rules may enable fraud. The testimony highlighted that retail investors have lost money on certain cryptocurrency projects while industry leaders and associates profited significantly, underscoring the need for stronger consumer protections and securities oversight in the crypto sector.

Grey's Anatomy actor Chris Carmack and his wife, musician Aaron Slaver, publicly shared their experience as scam victims to reduce stigma around fraud. Aaron lost $2,000 after purchasing cushions on an online platform (Betsy) that were never delivered and the seller disappeared before the platform could assist them. The couple is part of a McAfee cybersecurity campaign using #mycamstory to encourage others to openly discuss their scam experiences.

Gift card scams are increasing nationally and in the capital city, with victims like one viewer who paid $350 for an Apple gift card only to discover it had already been cashed. In November, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office arrested four people accused of tampering with over 7,000 gift cards across Northern California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. To protect themselves, consumers should purchase gift cards directly from companies, share codes rather than physical cards, and choose retailers that keep gift cards in secure, locked displays.

According to the Federal Trade Commission's 2024 data, Gen Z consumers ages 20-29 reported losing money to fraud and scams more frequently than adults ages 70-79, despite their digital fluency. Scammers target young people through phishing emails, fake websites, impostor schemes posing as financial aid offices, and scholarship or job offer scams. Experts recommend that young consumers verify the legitimacy of online merchants and email senders to protect themselves as they take on more independent financial responsibilities.

Three suspects were indicted in federal court in St. Louis for operating a nationwide tech support fraud scam targeting elderly victims, including a scheme where a 69-year-old Missouri couple was deceived into believing their computer was infected and coerced into paying $99,000 to prevent criminal prosecution. A related case involved a man posing as an FBI agent who defrauded an elderly Union man out of nearly $50,000 in gold by claiming his identity had been stolen, with similar scams occurring across Colorado and Oregon.

Scammers have targeted Medicare's catheter benefit program in a massive fraud scheme, with beneficiary accounts billed for catheters rising ninefold from 50,000 to 450,000 in a single year, resulting in billions of dollars in fraudulent claims. Seniors reported being billed for catheters they never received or needed, yet despite complaints to Medicare from private entities, physicians, and state insurance offices dating back to July, the federal government failed to investigate or stop the fraud in a timely manner. The incident highlights systemic weaknesses in Medicare's fraud detection capabilities, particularly the program's reliance on private organizations to identify suspicious spending patterns rather than proactive government oversight.

A 44-year-old former Wells Fargo branch manager in Battle Ground, Washington, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for stealing over $1.2 million from eight elderly and vulnerable customers through unauthorized withdrawals, transfers, and cashier's checks between 2014 and 2019. Davie deliberately targeted seniors with dementia or limited English skills who were less likely to monitor their accounts, with one victim losing more than $566,000 from her retirement accounts. Wells Fargo partially reimbursed victims for their losses, and the court will determine final restitution amounts in March 2024.

This article discusses proposed Washington state legislation that would allow civil lawsuits against sexual partners who remove or tamper with condoms or other protective devices without consent—a practice known as "stealthing." The bill, which passed the Senate Law and Justice Committee, defines stealthing as reproductive coercion and would permit plaintiffs to use pseudonyms in court while potentially recovering up to $5,000 per violation in damages if enacted. This is not an elder fraud matter.

A Central Florida woman lost approximately $600,000 of her life savings to a romance scam in which a scammer impersonated Elon Musk, convincing her she was in a relationship and investing money with him through wire transfers, ATM withdrawals, and gift card purchases. The victim's daughter brought the story to light to raise awareness, noting that romance scams targeting older, divorced women are underreported; the FTC documented $1.3 billion in romance scam losses nationally in 2022, though experts believe actual losses are significantly higher. Victims are advised to report such scams immediately to the FBI, FTC, and the relevant social media platform.

Military personnel, veterans, and their families can protect themselves from scams by using strong passwords, password managers, two-factor authentication, and separating work and personal accounts. The most rapidly growing scams targeting this population are confidence and romance scams, along with online impersonation accounts (often impersonating high-ranking officials), credit repair schemes, cryptocurrency fraud, social media account takeovers, and extortion attempts involving compromised photos. Awareness of common tactics—such as requests for gift cards or money from supposed military officials via text, fake investment opportunities posted from hacked accounts, and suspicious website URLs—can help individuals avoid becoming victims.

Brian Davie, a former Wells Fargo branch manager in Battle Ground, Washington, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison after stealing $1,279,840 from elderly and vulnerable customers between March 2014 and June 2019 through unauthorized withdrawals, transfers, and checks. One victim lost $566,000 from her retirement accounts, and Wells Fargo partially reimbursed victims while a federal judge will determine additional restitution amounts. Law enforcement and fraud prevention experts urge victims to report incidents immediately to banks and law enforcement, and recommend seniors use online banking, set up account alerts, and monitor transactions to prevent similar exploitation.

Dr. Thomas Andrew Webster of Ohio pleaded guilty to conspiring to accept kickbacks in a fraudulent telemarketing and medical supply scheme that victimized Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries in Eastern Washington and other states between May 2021 and September 2023. Webster signed fake medical records and durable medical equipment orders created by telemarketers who obtained patient information through cold calls, resulting in over $13.7 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare and TRICARE, with Webster personally receiving at least $839,565 for fictitious doctor visits that never occurred. As part of his guilty plea, Webster agreed to forfeit assets representing his criminal proceeds, with sent

Law enforcement officials report that seniors and other vulnerable populations are being targeted by sophisticated overseas scammers impersonating utility companies through fake sponsored ads on search engines and phone spoofing techniques that create urgent threats of service shutoffs to extract personal information and payments. Police acknowledge limited resources to prosecute these cases due to international jurisdictions but emphasize that the most effective defense is public education—remaining skeptical of unsolicited calls, hanging up on aggressive callers, and independently verifying company contact information before providing any personal or payment details.

Dr. Thomas Andrew Webster pled guilty to conspiring to accept kickbacks in a telemarketing and medical supply fraud scheme operating between May 2021 and September 2023 across Washington and other states. The scheme involved obtaining Medicare and TRICARE beneficiary information through telemarketers, creating fraudulent medical records and durable medical equipment orders that Webster signed, resulting in over $13.7 million in fraudulent billings and Webster personally receiving at least $839,565 for fake doctor visits that never occurred. Webster agreed to forfeit assets and faces sentencing on June 26, 2024.

AI-powered scams, including deepfakes and robo-calls, are increasingly targeting older Americans, with government agencies moving slowly to address the threat. Financial institutions are deploying chatbots and AI customer service tools that can provide inaccurate information, cause consumer harm, and potentially violate federal consumer protection laws. To protect yourself, seek human customer service representatives when resolving financial problems rather than relying on chatbots or AI-driven interactions.

Noel Chimezuru Agoha, a 40-year-old Maryland man, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison in February 2019 for leading multiple fraud schemes that defrauded victims of over $1.5 million between 2015 and 2018. Agoha and his co-conspirators executed business email compromise scams by impersonating legitimate business contacts to trick victims into transferring money to fraudulent accounts, and operated romance scams on dating websites using fake profiles to extract money and property from victims. The court ordered Agoha to pay $1 million in restitution for his role in the conspiracy.

Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen conducted a statewide "Stop the Scammers" educational tour in Mt. Pleasant to inform older residents about common fraud schemes including romance scams, grandparent scams, investment scams, and pig butchering scams. Ommen emphasized that scammers exploit emotional vulnerabilities and target older Iowans by conducting personal research and creating deceptive relationships to extract thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars. The campaign aimed to educate residents so they could share protective information with family and friends to help prevent fraud victimization.

A 74-year-old woman in Pierce County, Washington was targeted in a staged car accident scam where a man falsely claimed she hit his vehicle, showed her a fake mark on her bumper, and convinced her to let him inside her home. While the victim was distracted, the suspect stole $100 cash and her credit card from her purse, then attempted fraudulent purchases totaling at least $424. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office warns that this scam is becoming increasingly common and is deliberately targeting elderly victims.

Scammers are impersonating Amazon through spoofed phone calls and text messages claiming suspicious account activity, then using fabricated identity theft threats to pressure victims into transferring money from their bank and retirement accounts. The scam relies on psychological manipulation—creating urgency through false arrest threats and claims that someone opened fraudulent accounts using the victim's Social Security number. Victims should verify account issues directly through Amazon's website or app, never call back suspicious numbers, check their credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com, and remember that legitimate organizations will never demand secrecy or immediate money transfers.

Reyna Hernandez, a 54-year-old hair salon owner from Washington State, disappeared on February 26 and was found tortured and killed in a Mexicali, Mexico cemetery on March 8; authorities are investigating her death as a domestic violence crime. Her sister reported that Hernandez had shown up to work with a black eye before disappearing and was planning to speak with her boyfriend of 30 years when she vanished. A 61-year-old Renton resident has been named as a suspect and detained in Mexico on unrelated charges, with investigators pursuing kidnapping charges and potential extradition depending on where the crime occurred.

Georgia seniors lost over $775,000 to financial scams in 2022, with the state ranking among the top five most scammed states nationally and the FBI reporting a surge in deceptive practices targeting those over 60. Senator Jon Ossoff launched an inquiry with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to review the effectiveness of their senior protection resources and improve communication, noting that 68% of elderly fraud victims reported substantial emotional impact from their experiences.

Scammers impersonating "The Tax Group" are using voicemail messages before Tax Day to target taxpayers with offers to enroll them in a fake "Zero Tax Initiative" program, claiming past tax debts can be made non-collectible. The Better Business Bureau and IRS website confirm no such program exists, and the legitimate Tax Group business has reported being spoofed; experts note that tax preparers cannot access filing history without explicit permission, and the IRS never initiates contact by phone, text, or email.

This educational article from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division provides guidance on identity protection and outlines common scams targeting soldiers, veterans, and their families. Key recommendations include using strong passwords, password managers, two-factor authentication, and separating work and personal accounts, while growing threats include impersonation scams (where scammers pose as military officials), romance scams targeting those over 50, credit repair fraud, cryptocurrency schemes, social media account takeovers, and two-factor authentication exploitation. Supervisory Special Agent Deric Palmer emphasizes that data brokers sell personal information for as little as $20, enabling social engineering attacks, and warns that impersonation scams cause reputational

The Washington County Sheriff's Office issued a warning about a scam involving individuals selling counterfeit jewelry on freeway onramps and highways in the Hillsboro, WA area. The scammers claim to need gas money to return home and attempt to sell the fake jewelry, sometimes becoming aggressive in their demands for cash. Victims are encouraged to report incidents to the sheriff's office.

The Sequim Police Department warned residents about IRS impersonation scams, where fraudsters contact people by phone, mail, or email demanding tax payments and personal information. Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars to these scams, and residents are advised to hang up on suspicious calls, avoid sharing personal information, and report suspected scams through the Washington State Attorney General's Office website.

This is a police incident report from Beaufort County Sheriff's Office covering March 11-17, 2024, listing routine calls for service including vandalism, drug offenses, burglaries, and assaults across the county. One incident of particular relevance to elder fraud was reported on March 12 at 7:10 p.m. in the 900 block of Magnolia School Rd., Washington, involving both elder abuse and fraud, though no specific details regarding the victim, perpetrator, or dollar amount are provided in this report.

This article is not relevant to the Elderus database. It is a feature story about a bar and grill's seasonal cocktail partnership with a local beekeeping program and does not involve scams, fraud, or elder abuse.

This is a police incident report listing crimes investigated by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office during March 18-24, 2024, not a detailed fraud case analysis. The report includes one elder abuse incident on March 21 involving fraud, elder abuse, and larceny at a Fair Oaks Road address in Chocowinity, though no dollar amount or outcome details are provided. The week's incidents also included general fraud reports, credit card/ATM fraud, and various property crimes, but lack the specifics needed for comprehensive elder fraud documentation.

Linda Laird, 59, and her father James Blizzard, 80, of Cordova, Maryland, were indicted on charges including Social Security fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and financial exploitation of an elderly person. Beginning in November 2017, the defendants fraudulently obtained guardianship and conservatorship of an 81-year-old cognitively impaired nursing home resident, then diverted over $21,000 in Social Security benefits and $85,000 from the victim's bank account for their personal use instead of applying the funds toward her care. Both defendants were released pending trial in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Senator Bob Casey released a report documenting how the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act negatively impacted fraud victims by eliminating the casualty and theft loss tax deduction, a century-old provision that had allowed scam victims to deduct stolen funds from their taxable income. The report highlighted cases of seniors who lost life savings to scams and then faced substantial tax bills—including one victim facing hundreds of thousands in taxes and another hit with a $60,000 bill—and proposed reinstating the deduction through the Tax Relief for Victims of Crime, Scams, and Disasters Act. Republicans countered that the report was politically motivated and that the broader economic benefits of the tax cuts outweighe

A 75-year-old Maryland woman lost $86,000 in a tech support scam that began with a fake iPad security alert. After being directed to call a fake "Apple Support" number, scammers convinced her that her bank accounts were compromised and persuaded her to withdraw cash and purchase gift cards to "secure" her money. The scam was interrupted when a bank security officer at F&M Trust recognized the suspicious $62,500 withdrawal and alerted authorities, leading to the arrest of two New York men who arrived at her home to collect the cash.

U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (D-IL) and Troy Balderson (R-OH) introduced the Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act, bipartisan legislation directing the Federal Trade Commission to issue a comprehensive report on senior-targeted scams, their frequency, and policy recommendations to help older adults avoid them. The bill also directs the FTC to update its consumer portal with searchable scam information by region and coordinate with media and law enforcement to distribute awareness materials to seniors and caregivers, with the goal of preventing seniors from losing their life savings to fraudulent schemes.

U.S. Representatives Balderson and Kelly introduced the Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act, which directs the FTC to create an updated web portal allowing seniors and caregivers to search for scams by region and access law enforcement contact information. In 2022, seniors aged 60 and older filed 88,262 fraud complaints with the FBI, resulting in $3.1 billion in losses.

U.S. Representatives Troy Balderson and Robin Kelly introduced the Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act to combat fraud targeting older Americans by directing the FTC to create an updated web portal allowing consumers to search for scams by region and access law enforcement contact information. The legislation aims to raise awareness through coordination with media outlets and law enforcement agencies, responding to 2022 data showing seniors aged 60+ filed 88,262 fraud complaints with the FBI, resulting in $3.1 billion in losses.

U.S. Representatives Balderson and Kelly introduced the Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act, legislation directing the Federal Trade Commission to create an updated web portal with searchable information about senior-targeted scams by region, including law enforcement and protective service contacts. The bill aims to raise awareness and protect older Americans through coordinated distribution of scam information via media and law enforcement, addressing a significant problem where seniors aged 60+ filed 88,262 fraud complaints in 2022 alone, resulting in $3.1 billion in losses.

U.S. Senators Brown and Reed urged the CEOs of JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citi to strengthen protections against wire fraud and provide data on fraudulent transactions at their institutions. Wire fraud causes significant financial harm to consumers—often wiping out savings during major purchases—and consumers lost over $10 billion to fraud in 2023, with bank transfers being the most common fraud payment method. The senators called on banks to improve fraud prevention, monitor unauthorized transactions more proactively, and reimburse customers when they fail to prevent fraud.

Between June 2022 and June 2023, FinCEN identified 155,415 suspicious activity filings involving elder financial exploitation totaling approximately $27 billion, with approximately 80% involving elder scams (where perpetrators pose as trusted entities to obtain money) and 20% involving elder theft by known individuals. FinCEN's analysis found that account takeover was the most common scam method, adult children were the most frequent theft perpetrators, and perpetrators typically used unsophisticated methods to minimize contact with financial institutions. Financial institutions are encouraged to refer suspected EFE victims to the National Elder Fraud Hotline (833-372-8311) and recommend victims